Mary Louise Magmer joined Jack, her husband of 63 years, in heaven on Tuesday, Jan. 29. The longtime Milwaukee resident died peacefully at Sunrise Senior Living in Alexandria Va. with her family by her side. She was 96 – although you'd swear she was 20 years younger. Grandma Mary's spirit was undeniable, only surpassed by her sharpness, curiosity and wit. And she had all of that until the final days before her death. We should all die so gracefully. The daughter of a tannery worker and homemaker, Mary was born in the tiny northern Wisconsin town of Mellen, where she lived for her early grade school years. She then moved to Kenosha and later Milwaukee, where she would spend most of her rich life. An East Sider for much of her young life, Mary attended Lincoln High School before going to work for the Teamsters and later Cutler Hammer – where she met Violet and Lillian, her two best friends. Oh, the stories she would tell from those days. When you see her in heaven, you should ask her about her nights (and early mornings) dancing at The Roof in downtown Milwaukee, or the countless other dance halls she excitedly spoke about even 80 years later. Ask her about her eager, albeit often spurned, suitors – she was quite a catch – or about shopping at Schuster's, Gimbels and The Grand on Mitchell Street. Also ask her about "Booth Street," the name she gave to the stately late 19th Century home of her parents that she later owned. She loved that old house. Some of Mary's fondest memories were from time spent at Big Cedar Lake in Washington County. She worked there during the summer for years as a teenager and later returned for many summers with Lillian and Violet, as their twilights approached. If she was still around, you could ask Mary about the time as a 16 (actually, 14) year old that she lied about her age so she could land the job taking care of the Maxon house … or the time she went dancing across the lake one night and had to furiously row back to make it home in time for breakfast. She'd also tell you all about the wonderful memories she had there as she introduced "The Cottage" to her family and shared it with her best friends. Also ask her about Jack. Their love story began with a blind date and ended after more than six decades of joy, sadness and everything in between. They married on Feb. 22, 1941, and Kathi arrived two years later. Then came World War II, and Jack was drafted into the Navy, leaving Mary to raise Kathi until his return. Ask her about those days, and she'll tell you how much she missed Jack, and how difficult it was to raise a child as a single mother, even with the help of her mother. Maybe she'll even read you one of the love letters Jack sent her during the war – dozens of letters that she kept, and tearfully read, until her last days. Daughter Barbara came along in 1953, and the Magmers settled down into the routines of family life, with Mary raising the family and Jack working in the restaurant supply business. Ask her about the homes they lived in – she can recall each one fondly – or Mayfair Dinette, the store she and Jack opened in the 1970s on Mitchell Street. She'll also talk your ear off about "12th Street," the name she gave to the South Side duplex where they lived for more than 25 years. She loved that house, too. Ask her about the gambling trips to Las Vegas, the family trips to Mount Rushmore or Niagara Falls – or the vacations to more exotic locales like Cleveland, Duluth, Dubuque and Detroit. Mary and Jack loved to travel, especially with their grandchildren. Indeed, when you see Mary, ask her about when she became Grandma Mary with the birth of her two grandchildren, Erik and Sarah. She'll tell you about the important role she played in raising them … and the pride she felt in seeing them grow into adulthood. Both Sarah and Erik were there to hold Grandma Mary's hand as she passed away. Also ask her about the special love she had in her heart for Christian and Shelby, her two great-grandchildren. It's too bad she will not get to see them grow older. And be sure to ask Mary about the sacrifices she happily made in caring for Jack in his later years. Their love story, 63 years in the writing, ended (at least temporarily) in 2004, when Jack passed away at the age of 89. The epilogue is being written in heaven. In addition to Jack, Mary was preceded in death by her mother (Mabel) and father (Isadore) and her four brothers: Michael, Frank, Alfred and Joseph. She is survived by her two daughters, Kathleen, of Alexandria, Va., and Barbara (David) Kendall, of Cudahy; grandson Erik (Sarah) Brooks and granddaughter Sarah Brooks, both of South Milwaukee; and great-grandchildren Christian and Shelby Brooks. Her niece, Colleen Thomas, and other nieces and nephews, as well as former son-in-law Pharis Brooks, also held special places in her heart. All of them are looking forward to hearing the stories of her treasure-filled life again. "P.S.," Jack wrote in one of his wartime love letters to Mary. "You are wonderful, beautiful, lovely, comely, kind, gracious, my darling." Everyone who met Mary would agree.Cemetery:Southern Wisconsin Veterans Cemetery, 21731 Spring St., Union Grove, Wi. on Tue. Feb. 5th at 10am.